Partners
by purehalo
Summary: Cracked ribs are making life hell for Detective Ryan. First Castle fic so please be gentle!
1. Chapter 1

This is my first attempt at a Castle fic. I've always loved the show (i'd watch anything with Nathan in it!) But a certain irish Detective took my eye, and hey presto, here i am using him for my evil, twisted enjoyment!

Disclaimer: Not mine, probably never will be, but i can always hope.

All mistakes are mine, you can't have them.

Enjoy!

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Detective Javier Esposito leaned against the door frame as he surveyed his battered partner. The smell of antiseptic tickled against his nose, the bright lights of the ER cast shadows across his face as he frowned toward the injured man.

Detective Kevin Ryan sat stoically, appearing to all as one who was rolling with the punches and taking it all in his stride. He knew Javier was watching him.

He knew Javier could see through the mask.

He sucked in a breath as the Doctor wrapping his ribs pulled the dressing tight. His face betrayed his pain, his eyes squeezed closed as his skin glistened with sweat. He could feel well trained hands checking to make sure the wrapping was tight enough to give support, but not too tight to cause further damage to his two cracked ribs.

Kevlar. Great with bullets. Not so great with bones. Still, he'd take cracked ribs over a gun shot wound any day.

He risked a glance over to Javier, who took that as his cue to approach the bed his partner was perched on the edge of.

"Hey bro, how you feelin'?"

Kevin aimed for a reassuring smile, but landed somewhere in the grimace family.

"That bad hey?"

"Yeah, well, it could have been worse, Javi."

"So come on, how you really feelin'?" The older man asked, he stooped to try to catch his partner's eye to ensure he was getting the truth.

Kevin looked up and locked on. He smiled sadly as he said "Lucky."

"That you are Detective Ryan." The Doctor said as he signed the prescription for the pain meds Kevin was going to need. "You were very lucky, a shot that close can break the ribs, sometimes causing internal bleeding."

Kevin paled at the thought, Javier decided now was the time to take charge.

"So doc, is he free to go? And if so where do we need to sign?"

"Yes he's free to go. But you have to take it easy, Detective. Cracked ribs are no picnic. I'm prescribing pain meds and rest. If you over do it those ribs could go from cracked to broken and I know you wouldn't want that to happen." The doctor tapped his pen on his clipboard to emphasize his point.

Kevin nodded solemnly. Truth be known all he wanted to do was go home, stretch out on his comfy red couch and get lost in a bad movie. But that could all wait. Firstly he needed to finish the case. No way was he being sidelined this close to an arrest. Cracked ribs or not he was going back to the precinct.

He just had to convince Javier first.

Esposito stood to the side waiting patiently as Ryan signed the forms granting his leave from the hospital. His partner looked wiped out, slightly pale and each breath was taken carefully as he gauged the safest amount of air to intake before the pain kicked in.

Definitely going straight back to Kevin Ryan's apartment and chaining his friend to the couch if that's what it took to get the man off his feet.

Every few seconds Ryan sneaked a peek over his shoulder at his stern looking friend. This wasn't going to be easy. After signing the last form he gathered up his copies and turned toward the other Detective. Javier folded his arms across his chest. He could read his friend like a book, and the look in Ryan's eyes alerted Esposito to the impending conversation.

"So, you ready to go home, bro?" Javi asked as he walked side by side with the injured man.

"Yeah, sure. Just gotta pick up a couple of things at the precinct first."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Oh you know, just some stuff."

"Kevin." Esposito stopped their forward progress with a hand on his friend's arm.

"I gotta finish out the case, man." Said Ryan as he turned to look at his partner. His eyes held firm as he tried to convey his determination and need with one intense look.

"You need to go home and rest is what ya gotta do."

"You wouldn't."

Detective Esposito sighed. Sure, he'd forced himself to finish a case while in a neck brace. But they were talking about Ryan here, not him. Although he wasn't sure how well that argument was going to help him. He let his head fall to his chest as he considered his options. Man handling the injured man into the car and forcing him into his apartment would no doubt take the cracked ribs to broken. There was no point trying to convince him to go voluntarily, the look in his eyes said as much. There was only really one option. But at least he could concede with a few ground rules for good measure.

"Ok." He said as he looked up, his heart warmed by the smile spreading across the other Detective's face. The first smile he'd seen since they'd entered the fourth floor walk up only to be greeted by two men with guns. "We go back to the precinct. You are to sit at your desk, not moving, unless I say you can."

Kevin Ryan nodded, he used his most sincere expression. He knew Javi was giving in only because he knew what it felt like to not finish out a case.

"You are to stop and take a break anytime the pain breaks through."

Again, Kevin nodded, a slight smile playing around his mouth.

"You are to ask either myself or Castle to go with you if you need to leave the room. I don't want to find you collapsed somewhere all alone."

Kevin frowned at the thought, but knew to keep his sarcasm at bay.

"You are to be driven home anytime I think you're hiding the pain or anytime you look like you're about to keel over from exhaustion. You got it?"

Kevin caught his grin before it escaped, he forced a smile and nodded solemnly. When he finally looked into Javier's eyes the smile made a second escape for freedom. Esposito was stood tall, his arms folded, brow knotted. Attempting to raise his height in order to glare down at the other man.

If Kevin didn't know him so well he might have been intimidated. He held off from an ill timed 'Yes Sir' and nodded again. Before Kevin could look back up, Javier allowed himself a grin. It wasn't that he loved bossing his injured partner about, ok, maybe a little it was, but mostly it was the fact his partner was allowing him to look after him. Kevin Ryan was easy going and amiable, but he hid his feelings well and only let show what he felt safe showing. Injuries and illnesses had to be sought out. Javier had learned that early on in their partnership and had made it his job to see the signs, even before Kevin himself knew there were any.

TBC

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_Go on, hit that little review button and let me know what you think? It'll help the wait for 'Knockdown' be less painful._


	2. Chapter 2

Before i go watch the new ep...again...here's the next installment!

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"Is he ok?" Asked Richard Castle as he poured Detective Esposito a coffee. They both kept glancing out toward the injured Detective, who was staying true to his word and stayed seated at his desk as he caught up on paperwork.

Esposito nodded, but Castle caught the flick of his eyes as he checked on his partner once again, revealing his true concerns.

"Yeah, he's good. Just wants to finish the case. He's ok." He added, more so to reassure himself than the writer. Castle handed him the hot coffee, he picked up another two cups and filled them both. As he made his way over to Detective Ryan, Kate Beckett caught his eye. She flicked her head toward the injured man, Castle nodded. Their shorthand a fine art after so many hours working cases together.

"You sure you're ok to be here?" Castle asked Kevin as he placed the coffee on the other man's desk and sat down opposite him.

"Castle, I'm fine. I just wanna see this thing wrapped up before I go home." At Castle's look he added, "I'll only be sat at home wondering if there's something I could be doing to help or something I missed, so I might as well do that here." He reached for his coffee but pulled up short as his ribs protested. Sucking in a breath he ignored Castle's pointed look as he carefully sat back, one arm wrapped around his midsection in an effort to still the ache.

Castle leaned forward, picking up the mug and handing it the Detective. "You know, at least at home you can lay out on the couch and really rest up."

Kevin was about to protest again that he was fine where he was when Esposito came over, inadvertently distracting the conversation.

"We just pulled this picture off of the CCTV from the building opposite the store, there's a guy stood there having a cigarette so we have a potential witness." He said as he handed a copy of the picture to Kate as she walked over.

"A witness who might be able to place our two gunmen at the store." Kate said as a smile spread across her face. "If we can prove they were part of that robbery gone wrong we can add first degree murder to their assaulting officers charge ,if we can prove they were the ones in the jewellery store when the manager was murdered."

"See that uniform?" Esposito pointed to the picture. "It's from the Starbucks two doors down. I called to check where their employee's have their cigarette breaks, turns out they walk to the corner out of view of the store."

"But in perfect view of the Jewellery store." Beckett finished. "Go pick him up."

As Esposito grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair, Ryan began the arduous task of standing. Kate put her hand on his shoulder and tried to push him back down into the seat.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"With Javi."

"No, bro. You stay here."

"No way, I'm going with you partner." Kevin pushed up and out of the chair, brushing off Kate's attempt to push him back down. "All I'll be doing is sitting in the car and helping to point out our potential witness." He was about to add a 'please let me help' but from the pleading look in his blue eyes his team caved.

"Ok." Agreed Kate reluctantly. "But just, you know, be careful." At Castle's snicker, Esposito's grin and Ryan's smile, she quickly made an exit, aiming for the morning's gun men still in the interview room. Perps were a lot easier to deal with than injured Detectives and annoying fiction writers.

Castle handed Ryan his jacket. As the injured man gingerly pulled his arms through the sleeves, Castle ignored the itching need to help and went to find Beckett in the interview room.

Javier's grip on the steering wheel had turned his knuckles bright white. It wasn't the late afternoon traffic that he was having to navigate that had set his nerves on edge. It wasn't even the hope of the witness causing adrenaline to course through his veins.

It was the heavy intakes of breath coming from his partner each time they hit a bump in the road that had set his stress levels up toward ten.

Kevin kept a arm around his ribs, his hand gripping the door handle as he tried for the hundredth time to find a more comfortable position in the passenger seat. He'd thought getting out of the precinct for a while would do him some good. Fresh New York air always made him feel better. It wasn't that his partner was a bad driver. It was more so that his ribs were bad passengers.

Javier bit his tongue, knowing if he asked Kevin again how he was feeling he'd probably end up with a fist in his face. He almost cried with relief as he saw the Starbucks in the distance. Only another minute or so and they'd be parked up, giving his partner a much needed reprieve from the discomfort he was currently enduring.

Esposito pulled up against the curb and waited, Ryan sat as far forward as his body allowed. They were prepared for a long wait, not knowing when their potential witness took his breaks, and not wanting to spook him, thought it best to approach him while he was out of the coffee shop. Javi, once again, glanced over at his partner.

"You…"

"Esposito, don't even ask."

"What?"

"You know what." Ryan smiled good naturedly at his over protective partner. "I'm fine. Uncomfortable, but fine."

Javi smiled as he nodded and turned his attention back to the street. A tall figure made his way round the corner. The two detectives checked the CCTV picture to make sure this was their guy. Esposito climbed out of the car, badge in hand and approached the man as he lit a cigarette.

"Excuse me Sir, NYPD, I need to ask you some questions."

Kevin sat up straighter in the car. Something wasn't right. He couldn't put his finger on what, but something had set the hairs on the back of his neck to high alert.

The smoking man pushed himself away from where he leaned against the side of the building. He frowned as Detective Esposito advanced. He glanced around. His eyes darting from side to side. Javi felt the same feeling as Kevin as he realised from the man's changing body language, this wasn't a witness. This was a suspect. He put his badge back in his pocket slowly, and reached around for his gun, his left hand stretched out in front of him as he tried to placate the suspicious looking man.

"Hey, I just wanna talk to you, about something that happened here the other night. Just wanna talk. That ok?"

All the while Javier advanced, the man took a step back, two steps, three. His speed picking up as he took his chance for freedom and turned to run. Javier swore as he gave chase. He didn't stop to check if his partner was behind him, ready to provide back up, he didn't register the car door slamming as Kevin Ryan , pain forgotten for fear of his partner's safety, exited the vehicle and circled behind the building.

Detective Esposito ran, hard and fast, he was gaining against the fleeing suspect when the man suddenly turned hard right down an alley.

"Why do they always head down alleys?" He shouted as he gave pursuit. As Javier turned the corner he ran full speed into a garbage can the suspect pushed into his path. He fell hard, his knee's scraping against the concrete, before he had a chance to collect himself and locate his dropped weapon, he felt a hand grab onto his hair and yank him up to his knees.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" The man screamed in his ears.

"I only wanted to talk, that's all, man."

"DID MICKEY GIVE ME UP? IS HE CUTTING ME OUT OF THE DEAL?"

Esposito frowned, the gun man that had fired on Kevin that morning had been called Mickey.

"You were their lookout." He said, more as a fact than a question.

"Yeah, so. What you gonna do about it?" The man held the gun high, bringing it down to rest against Esposito's temple.

"Him, nothing." Said Ryan as he stood behind the suspect, gun drawn against the man's head. "Me though, I'm gonna drag you to the station by your hair and string you up for accessory to murder. Now let go of my partner."

Esposito started to smile with pride until he felt himself being pushed forward, the suspect brought his elbow back hard against Detective Ryan's ribs, causing him to cry in pain as he felt the cracks break. The suspect turned to run but his left leg refused to move thanks to Javier's tight grip on his ankle, and he fell down hard. His face hitting the concrete, his limp body giving in to the blackness as he was knocked out cold. His body fell in a heap next to Ryan.

Kevin's vision kept greying out, his lungs refusing to hold onto the oxygen his body desperately needed. He was vaguely aware of movement but the pain eating through his body made thought an act of intense determination, an act he hadn't the energy to use or will to provide the determination needed. His lips were tingling, the lack of oxygen sending a short circuit through his body.

He closed his eyes as the blackness began to descend.

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_Evil cliffe...muhahaha! _

_Where would we be without bromance?_


	3. Chapter 3

Guys thank you so much for your reviews and support x To everyone who only reads, many thanks to you too for taking the time to come along on this little ride with me.

Last chapter, but as these guys are so great together there's another story in the works!

Enjoy!

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Javier grabbed his cuffs, roughly pulling the witness turned suspect onto his front as he secured his hands behind his back. He made light work of incapacitating the scumbag.

His focus now entirely on his injured partner.

Kevin was laid on his side, arms wrapped tight around his ribs, his breath came in short, sharp bursts. His skin had taken on the colour of snow, glistening in the late afternoon sun.

Javier knelt beside him and tried to pry his friend's hand away from his side. Ryan kept his eyes squeezed shut as he shook his head.

"No." He breathed out. "Don't."

"Sorry, bro. I gotta." Esposito hated causing his partner more pain, but he needed to know how bad the breaks were. Kevin finally acquiesced and allowed his hands to be moved. Javier gently rolled the injured man onto his back, stretching his legs out. He pulled aside the suit jacket and ran his hands down the previously uninjured side of Ryan's body first. When that elicited no reaction he gave no pause for thought as he repeated the action on the other side. Kevin cried out in pain as Javier's hands brushed against the once cracked ribs.

"Broken, bro."

"No…shit….bro." Ryan replied breathlessly.

Javier leant over his friend. "Open you eyes, man. Come on, open them for me." As much as Ryan wanted to ignore the request, that would also mean ignoring his friend. Something he would never, ever do. His eyes opened to mere slits. The pain within the blue depths poured over Javier as he gripped his partner's arm, more so to give himself the support than Ryan.

"You need to calm your breathing down, partner."

Kevin nodded, tried to squeeze his eyes shut but Javier wouldn't allow him.

"Open your eyes. Listen to me, listen to my voice. You gotta calm your breathing. The sooner you do that the quicker you can get the pain under control. You understand?"

"If….I….say…..no…..you…..leave…..me….alone?"

"Hell no, never gonna happen, bro." Javier began rubbing Kevin's chest, setting up a rhythm for the injured man to follow with his inhales and exhales. After what seemed like an eternity his breathing began to slow. A small amount of colour returning to his cheeks.

Kevin closed his eyes in relief as oxygen flowed freely into deprived lungs. His chest expanded with every careful breath. His mind fighting his body's need to pant. The less he moved the quicker the pain would subside. He focused on the feel of his partners hand, gently rubbing his sternum. As Javier's hand rose toward Kevin's neck, he inhaled, as the hand fell toward his belly, he exhaled. With each arduous response to his partner's ministrations, Kevin felt the pain recede. The shock of the attack, the exertion of the run, added to his body still recovering from the morning's adventures, had wiped him out. His eyes, mere slits, sought out his friend. He smiled reassuringly. Giving the signal Javier had been looking for since finding his friend collapsed on the ground.

"Better?" Asked Esposito.

Kevin didn't trust his voice, nor did he want to expel anymore valuable air, so he nodded. Attempted a smile. Settled for winking toward the other man.

"You had me worried there, bro." Said Javier as he pulled out his phone. "Hey Beckett, our witness is the lookout. Yep, we got him here. Gonna need some blues to come pick him up, I need to get Ryan back to the hospital. No, no. he's not shot. Just our suspect gave chase. Ryan saved my life, but manage to break his ribs in the process."

Kevin frowned up at his friend, he was about to protest that it wasn't him that broke the ribs when Javier patted his shoulder in understanding.

"Yeah, no that's ok. I'll call you from the hospital. No don't worry, he won't be back at the precinct today. I'll make sure of that. What's that? Oh yeah! Ok, I'll tell him."

Esposito stood to check on their downed suspect. Satisfied the other man wasn't about to move anytime soon, he went back to his injured partner's side.

"Beckett says hey."

Ryan smiled, although it appeared more a grimace.

"She says to go home after this."

Ryan nodded.

"She says if you even attempt to come back to the precinct after this, she'll shoot you."

Ryan frowned.

For the second time in one day, Detective Kevin Ryan found himself sat on a hospital gurney, being checked out by a very disappointed Doctor.

"So, Detective Ryan. My warnings from this morning about cracked ribs appear to have fell on deaf ears."

Kevin opened his mouth to protest, the Doctor tapped his pen on the chart in his hands in a way that suggested the Detective better shut up and listen. Or else.

"Broken ribs mean no work. But then again so did cracked ribs so I don't know why I'm bothering to tell you this."

Kevin looked toward his partner, standing in the corner of the room. Detective Esposito was attempting, poorly, to hide his amusement at his friend's predicament.

"Now Detective, I trust that these next words won't be so easily forgotten. I am prescribing you pain meds of the drowsy family. You will not drive."

Kevin nodded his head sincerely.

"You will not go to work tomorrow, or the next day."

Kevin again, nodded his head in understanding. He pursed his lips. Knowing there was no way he could convince his partner to go against the doctor's wishes again. He frowned when he noticed just how much said partner was enjoying his telling off.

"You will not move, unless absolutely positively necessary."

"No, doc."

"And you will not do anything to bring you back here to my ER again. Understood?"

Kevin looked up to answer but stopped dead as the doctor held up the biggest looking syringe he'd ever seen. Even the grin on Esposito's face vanished at the sight of what they both classed as a serious weapon.

"Understood." Kevin whispered. He cleared his throat, and answered again, more strongly this time. "Understood."

"Good. Glad that we understand each other." The doctor turned, handing Javier the prescription sheet, glaring at him to further emphasise his point and left.

Kevin hung his head. He hurt, he was tired, but they'd caught their guy. Somehow though, without being able to see the guy take a walk to booking, it just didn't seem as great a victory.

"What if there's no evidence?" He asked Esposito as the other man helped him put his coat back on. "What if all we end up having is video of him taking a break outside the store?"

"Bro, you need to stop thinking like that. Beckett'll break him."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then we'll find more evidence. You know we will. We already got him for assaulting two officers. Won't take much to get him for the rest. Come on, time to go home."

"Man I'm wiped."

"Can't think why." Teased Javier as he helped his friend off the bed. Kevin wobbled slightly as his feet hit the floor but his partner was there to balance him. When he was ready he nodded, the two made slow progress out of the hospital.

As he finally eased himself onto his comfortable red couch, Kevin was ready to call it a day, close his eyes and be done with it. He listened to Esposito fuss in the kitchen. Heard the older man grumble about the lack of food in the place. The pills he'd been forced to take were working their magic. The pain in his side giving way to a dull ache. Kevin closed his eyes. Letting the sounds, no matter how irate, of his friend wash over him. Even the banging of the refrigerator door did nothing more than remind Kevin that he wasn't alone. His partner was here, taking care of everything so he didn't have to.

His mind drifted further. He heard soft footfalls. A blanket fell in place over him. Someone removed his shoes. He smiled as a hand landed on the top of his head, a whispered "Sleep well, bro." Sending off on the waves of slumber, safe in the knowledge that, for today anyway, no one was going to break any more of his ribs.

His wave caught, mid flow, as a knock at the door pulled him back from the arms of sleep. He was still too far out to sea to awaken, but close enough to shore to be aware.

"Hey, Beckett. Castle."

"Hey, Esposito." Greeted Kate Beckett.

"Hey man, brought you guys some dinner." Said Castle as he handed the Detective a bag of take out.

"Ah man, Castle you are a mind reader."

"Among my many and varied talents, yes." Smiled Castle. He ignored Kate as she rolled her eyes. "How's he doing?"

"Asleep on the couch." Answered Esposito as he led the two into Ryan's kitchen. "The doc has given him some pretty strong painkillers."

"At least he's not in pain then." Said Kate, as she made her way toward her injured detective.

"Nope, no pain. I think the doc did it more so to keep the idiot resting than to really help manage the pain."

"Well if that's what it takes." Said Kate quietly as she pulled the blanket further around Kevin. He was aware of her standing so close, aware of the others in the kitchen. He smiled, alerting her to the fact he was still relatively awake.

"Hey, Ryan." She whispered so only he could hear. "Good job today."

"Beckett broke your witness turned suspect." Castle announced, causing Kevin to force his mind further awake. His eyes opened slightly, he frowned up at Kate who smiled and nodded.

"He was drafted as the lookout, he was waiting for his pay day and then he'd be quitting his job and getting the hell out of the city. Only he didn't expect these guys to kill the manager. Plus, he may have been given the impression that they'd tried to blame him for the whole thing."

"I swear," Defended Castle, "It was never my intention to imply such a thing. It just came out that way."

"So its over, Ryan." Kate said to the barely awake detective. "Time to sleep." He smiled drunkenly as the drugs once again pulled him out to sea.

As his mind let go of all thought and all hold on the remains of the day, voices drifted with him in his subconscious. His friends, making themselves at home, keeping a watchful eye on the injured man. At the end of the couch he felt his legs being moved slightly. A weight settled on the couch, a hand rested on his ankle. His partner stayed close, always there, watching his back, like all good partners do.

Fin

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_Well there it is, my first Castle fic. Hope you enjoyed. See ya at the next!_


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